EFFECT OF ACTIVITY AND CONVENTIONAL TEACHING METHODS ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE AND RETENTION IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
The study investigated the effect of Activity and conventional teaching methods on students‟ performance and retention in Agricultural Science in Senior Secondary Schools in Kaduna State Nigeria. Five objectives were used to carry out the study. These include to determine the effect of Activity-Based method of teaching on students‟ performance in Agricultural science in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State, ascertain the retention ability of students‟ taught Agricultural Science using Activity-Based method and those taught using Conventional teaching method in Senior Secondary Schools in Kaduna State, The objectives were transformed into five corresponding research question and hypotheses. The research adopted the quasi-experimental design of pre-test, post-test. The sample size for the study comprised 244 SSII Agricultural Science students‟ selected using purposive sampling techniques. The instrument used for data collection in the study was a structured Agricultural Science performance test (ASPT) designed by the researcher. The instrument consisted of forty-five (45) multiple-choice test items. The drafted instrument was validated by the researcher supervisors and two experienced Agricultural Science experts one from Amadu Bello University and Kaduna State Ministry of Education. The validated instrument was pilot tested using test-retest, the data collected from the pilot study were analysed using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and a reliability coefficient of 0.70 was obtained. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Frequency and percentage were used to analyse the biodata of the respondents‟, while the mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions. Independent sample t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the study among others revealed that the performance of students‟ taught Agricultural Science using Activity-Based teaching method was significantly better than those taught using conventional teaching method, that the students‟ taught Agricultural Science using Activity-Based teaching method retain the learned concepts for a long time than their counterparts taught using conventional method, The study concluded that Activity-Based method of teaching has a facilitating effect on the performance of students. The following recommendations were made among others, that teachers of Agricultural Science should explore Activity-Based method to their advantage in enhancing effectiveness in the classroom teaching and consequently engender student better performance, the teaching style by Agricultural Science teachers should be based on guiding, directing and facilitating while students‟ should do the real work by themselves.
This would enable them to discover new ideas and skills in solving problems.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Abstract vi
Table of Contents vii
List of Appendix x
List of Tables xi
List of Abbreviation xiii
Operational Definition of Terms xv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 4
1.3 Objectives of the Study 5
1.4 Research Questions 6
1.5 Hypotheses 7
1.6 Basic Assumptions 7
1.7 Significance of the Study 8
1.8 Scope of the Study 10
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction 11
2.2 Conceptual Frame Work 11
viii
2.2.1 Concept of Agricultural Education 11
2.2.2 History of Agricultural Education 12
2.2.3 Curriculum of Agricultural Science . 14
2.2.4 Resources for the implementation of Agricultural Science. 16
2.3 Concept of Activity-Based Method 20
2.3.1 Strategies for Activity Based Method in Agricultural Science 26
2.4 Effects of Activity-Based Method on Agricultural Science Concept 46
2.5 Effects of Activity-Based Method on Academic Performance 49
2.6 Effects of Activity-Based Method on Retention 56
2.7 Theoretical Frame Work 59
2.8 Empirical Study 61
2.9 Implications of the Literatures Reviewed to the Present Study 80
2.10 Summary 81
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction 83
3.2 Research Design 83
3.3 Population of the study 84
3.4 Sample Size and Sampling Technique 85
3.5 Instrumentation 85
3.5.1 Validity of the Instrument 88
3.5.2 Pilot Study 89
3.5.3 Reliability of the Instrument 89
3.6 Procedure for Data Collection 90
ix
3.7 Treatment Administration 90
3.8 Procedure for Data Analysis 93
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS, RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Introduction 94
4.2 Description of the Variables 94
4.3 Respond to Research Question 95
4.4 Hypotheses Testing 100
4.5 Summary of Major Findings 105
4.6 Discussion of Findings 106
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary 110
5.2 Conclusion 112
5.3 Recommendations 112
5.4 Contribution to Knowledge 113
5.5 Suggestion for further Study 113
References 114
x
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix One Request to participate in the Research Study 123
Appendix Two Lesson Plan for experimental groups 124
Appendix Three Lesson Plan for control groups 174
Appendix Four Letter of Validation of Instrument 206
Appendix Five Instrumentation 211
Appendix Six Work Study Correlation Coefficient 217
Appendix Seven Data Output 218
xi
LIST OF TABLES
Table Pages
1 Population Distribution of the Study 85
2 Sample and Sampling Techniques 86
3 Item Specification of Agricultural Science Performance Test 88
4 Classification of Students 94
5 Mean and Standard Deviation on the Effect of Activity-Based 95
6 Method on Students‟ Performance on Agricultural Science in
Senior Secondary Schools in Kaduna State
96
7 Mean and Standard Deviation on the Effect of Activity-Based
Discussion Teaching Method on the Performance of Students
taught Agricultural science concepts in Senior Secondary Schools
in Kaduna State
97
8 Mean and Standard Deviation on the Effect of Activity-Based
DemonstrationTeachingMethod on the performance of Students
taught Agricultural science concepts in Senior Secondary Schools
in Kaduna State
98
9 Mean and Standard Deviation on the Effect of Activity-Based
Inquiry TeachingMethod on the Performance of Students in
Agricultural science concepts in Senior Secondary Schools in
Kaduna State
99
10 Summary of independent Sample T-Test on the Effect of Activity-
Based TeachingMethod and Conventional teaching method on
Students Performance in Agricultural Science in Senior Secondary
Schools in Kaduna State
100
11 Summary of independent Sample T-Test on the Retention ability
of Students taught Agricultural Science using Activity-Based
Method and Conventional teaching method inSenior Secondary
Schools in Kaduna State.
101
12 Summary of independent Sample T-Test on the Performance of
Students taught Agricultural science concepts using Activity-
Based discussion Method and Conventional teaching method in
Senior Secondary Schools in Kaduna State
102
13 Summary of independent Sample T-Test on the Performance of 103
xii
Students taught Agricultural science concepts using Activity-
Based demonstration Method and Conventional teaching method
in Senior Secondary Schools in Kaduna State
14 Summary of independent Sample T-Test on the Performance of
Students taught Agricultural science concepts using Activity-
Based inquiry Method and Conventional teaching method in
Senior Secondary Schools in Kaduna State
104
xiii
List of Abbreviations
ABM Activity Based Method
ASPT Agricultural Science Performance Test
ANCOVA Analysis of CO-Variance
BEC Basic Education Curriculum
CAI Computer Assisted Instruction
CAT Chemistry Achievement Test
CG Control Group
EG Experimental Group
FRIN Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria
GAT Geometric Achievement Test
GNC Groundnut Cake
JSCE Junior Secondary Education Curriculum
MDG Millennium Development Goal
NEEDS National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy
NEPA Nigeria Electric Power Authority
NERDC Nigerian Education Research and Development Council
NIFOR National Institutes for Oil Palm Research
NTI National Teachers Institutes
NUT Nigeria Union of Teachers
PVS Pre-Vocational Studies
Q1a Pretest of Experimental Group
Q1b Pretest of Control Group
xiv
Q2a Post-Test of Experimental Group
Q2b Post-Test of Control Group
Q3a Retention Test of Experimental Group
Q3b Retention Test of Control Group
SATEWF Students attitudes to Essay Writing in French
SSCE Senior School Certificate Examination
SS II Senior Secondary Two
SSS Senior Secondary School
STAN Science Teachers Association of Nigeria
TPD Teachers Professional Development
T TTP Technical Teachers‟ Training Progamme
WRC Water Retention Capacity
WSIP Whole School Improvement Programme
X1 Treatment of experimental Group
Y No Treatment in Control Group
Operational Definition of Terms
Activity Based Approach: is the process whereby learners are actively involved or engaged
in the learning process rather than passively absorbing lectures
Concept Map: Is a special form of web diagram for disentangling a concept and making it
clearer to the learner.
Ethnoscience Instructional Method: Is a method that allows learners to critically re-assess cultural belief that are in tandem with scientific concepts.
Inquiry Approach: It‟s a provoking creative method in which students, out of curiosity and on their own or under the guidance of a teacher, probe, investigate, and interpret relevant issues to the problems with a view if providing solutions through reflective thinking.
Performance: is the capacity to achieve when one is tested on what he/she has been taught.
Problem Solving Approach: it is a skill that requires finding a solution that is unique and resolving to identify the problem.
Resources: Are materials that aid learning or make learning permanent or concrete.
Retention: is the ability to remember what one has learnt in a later time.
1 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study Agriculture is the mother and nurse of all other activities because when agriculture flourishes all other things would flourish when agriculture fails civilization fails. Agriculture is an indispensable tool for National development because of the role it plays in science and technology. No nation can afford to allow her teeming population to shy away from learning of Agricultural Science. Nigerian government recognizes the importance of the subject that is why it allows the subject to be taught at all level of education. Agricultural science was introduced into the curriculum content of secondary school because of its educational value and relevance to the needs of the individual learners, national value and the society as a whole.
Given the high value placed on Agricultural science at the Nigerian Senior Secondary School curriculum and the need to teach it effectively through an effective method is indisputable. A few of the problems affecting the teaching and learning of Agricultural science are the meaningfulness of the content, the sustainability of the methods and probably, the teacher who handles both the content and method. A student cannot learn agricultural science effectively without going through some experiences in science,). Agricultural science teaching can only be result oriented when students are willing and the teachers are favourably disposed using appropriate methods and resources. Efforts have been made to diagnose the problem associated with the teaching and learning of agricultural science to proffer solutions that will lead to better performance. To this end, the importance of improving the teaching method of agricultural science in senior secondary school towards students’ better performance was emphasized. Research on the methods of teaching in Nigerian schools revealed that the 2 Conventional teaching method is known as the teacher-centered approach of teaching is commonly used. Bclaji in Upelle (2013) said that this method (conventional teaching method.) does not allow for active participation of students, the incidence in senior secondary school has resulted in poor performance in both internal and external examination. This necessitated the need for a more effective and result oriented method.
Correct use of an appropriate teaching method is critical to successful teaching and learning. Knowledge of how teaching methods affect students learning may help educators to select methods that improve teaching quality, effectiveness, and accountability to the learner and the public. It may also help them keep up with information technology and globalization. Effective teaching focuses on instruction that promotes students involvement on activity-based learning which is superior to so many other teaching methods, sequel to this, there is a widespread concern among parents, stakeholders in the educational sector and the general public about the method used in teaching agricultural science at the secondary school level in Nigeria. Teachers are now being requested to move away from convention teaching model (approach) and embrace the activity-based teaching strategies.
Activity-based teaching method makes students active participants, aids retention of materials learnt, builds confidence, helps students maximize their potential and favours intrinsic motivation. Activity-based learning strategies are being used with increasing frequency as a means to engage students in their learning. The use of activitybased learning in the classroom spans a continuum, ranging from the occasional use of problems for students to solve the extensive use of discussions problems or other activities in a class. The activity-based teaching method is more effective than the traditional method because it results in better long-term retention than the traditional method of teaching. The activity-based instructional method promotes instruction in the 3 three domains of knowledge. It enables students to handle concrete material which reduces the abstract nature of the concept learned. The activity-based teaching method involves the use of discussion, demonstration, enquiry, problem solving, discovery and so on.This makes learning more meaningful and when concepts are meaningfully learned, it enhances retention and heightens student’s performance academically.
Discussion teaching method is an essentially activity – based approach which actually involves students talking over subjects from various point of view, with the teacher playing the role of a guide in the learning situation, properly directing questions to elicit appropriate response and information. The teacher does not dispense knowledge or communicate information but plays the role of a moderator in the learning process.
This method is predicated on the fact that some knowledge has already been acquired by assimilation, discovery, demonstration, and problem solving. Here, the learner discusses ideas, considers other people ideas and applies appreciation that enable him evaluate and relates to his own experience and make judgments, formulating his own ideas and adding something new to his own.
Furthermore, Demonstration method can be said to be the illustration or display or directions on the operations of something or procedure involved in a process action, activities or the act of teaching. It is a teaching method that is utilized by both teachers and students in agricultural science classroom. It is used by agricultural science teachers who want to show the students how a particular farming practice is carried out or done.
Demonstration teaching method is a skill that can be learnt and taught, it involves showing by offering example of how something works or the steps involved in a process.
Another teaching method is inquiry teaching method which is an activityoriented, thought-provoking creative method in which students out of curiosity and on their own, or under the guidance of the teacher, probe investigative, interpret relevant 4 issues and problems to provide solution through reflective thinking and rational decision – making which this method develops in the inquirer. This method gives students the ability to be able to retain what the have been taught in the classroom.
The concept “retention” is the ability to retain and consequently remember items/things learned or experienced by an individual at a later time. This takes place when learning is coded into memory. Thus, the appropriate coding of incoming information provides the index that may be consulted so that retention takes place without an elaborate search in the memory lane. Umoru-sule (2009) suggested that students may acquire more knowledge in the short term when taught conventionally but are likely to retain knowledge longer when taught with the activity-based teaching method.
The successful teaching and learning of Agricultural science depend on the appropriate teaching methods that will be result-oriented, promote student’s involvement, maximize their potential, builds confidence and aid retention of materials learnt. Hence, there is need to find out the best way of presenting agricultural science instruction in schools to improve the performance of students.
1.2 Statement of the Problem Poor performance of students in both internal and external examinations and the inability of secondary schools graduates of agricultural science to produce students without the needed skills for critical thinking and problem solving, in particular, has been blamed on the way and manner in which the subject is taught in secondary schools in Nigeria. To this backdrop agricultural science graduates who are supposed to be job creators have become job seekers.
Many of the teachers adopt conventional lecture method to overcome the bulky agricultural science syllabus before the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) 5 stipulated time and this does not give room for the proper understanding of the subject.
On the other hand, some student complained that some of their teachers are teaching practice students and National Youth Corps Members and as such do not keep to their teaching period while other students openly reject the subject with the erroneous belief that it is meant for their grandfathers in the countryside, sometimes use to punish errant students and too difficult to assimilate as it required a lot of memorization.
It is as a result of this problem that, the researcher was prompted to investigate the effect which activity-based teaching method can have on the students’ performance on their retention of agricultural concept in senior secondary school in Kaduna State, Nigeria.
1.3 Objectives of the Study The study has the following objectives to: 1. determine the effects of activity teaching method on students’ performance in Agricultural science in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State.
2. ascertain the retention ability of students taught Agricultural science using activity-based teaching method and those taught by Conventional teaching method in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State.
3. determine the performance of the students taught Agricultural science concepts using activity discussion teaching method and those taught using Conventional teaching method in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State.
4. examine the performance of the students taught Agricultural science concepts using activitydemonstrationmethod and those taught using Conventional teaching method in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State.
6 5. findout the performance of students taught Agricultural science concepts using activity inquiry method and those taught using Conventional teaching method in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State.
1.4 Research questions This study sought to answer the following questions 1. What is the effect of activitymethod and Conventional teaching method on students‟ performance in agricultural science in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State? 2. What is the effect of activity method on retention ability level of students in agricultural science in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State? 3. What is the performance of students taught Agricultural science concepts using activity-based discussion teaching method and those taught using Conventional teaching method in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State? 4. To what extent does activity demonstrationmethod affectthe performance of students taught Agricultural science concepts in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State? 5. What is the performance of students taught Agricultural science concepts using activity inquirymethod and those taught using Conventional teaching method in senior secondary schools in Kaduna State? 7 1.5 Hypotheses the following null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 significant level 1. There is no significant difference in academic performance of students taught Agricultural science using activity method and those taught using conventional teaching method.
2. There is no significant difference in the retention ability of students taught agricultural science using activity method and those taught using conventional teaching method.
3. There is no significant difference in the performance of student taught Agricultural science concepts using discussion teaching method and those taught using conventional teaching method.
4. There is no significant difference in the performance of students taught Agricultural science concepts using demonstration teaching and those taught using conventional teaching method.
5. There is no significant difference in the performance of student taught Agricultural science concepts using inquiryteachingmethod and those taught using conventional teaching method.
1.6 Basic assumptions The study has the following basic assumptions 1. Those students taught Agricultural science concepts using activity method performed significantly better than those taught usingconventional teaching method.
2. Those students taught Agricultural science concepts through activity method retain concept longer than those taught using conventional teaching method.
8 3. Those students taught Agricultural science concepts using activitydiscussion teaching method performed significantly better than those taught using convention method.
4. Those students taught Agricultural science concepts performed better when taught using activitydemonstrationmethod than those taught using conventional teaching method.
5. Those students taught Agricultural science conceptsperformed better when taught using activityinquirymethod than those taught using conventional teaching method.
1.7 Significance of the Study The result of this study is expected to be significantly beneficial to several people. These include the following teachers, curriculum planners and developers, educators, Agricultural science teacher, educational administrators, government, students, society and researchers. It will also increase the teachers’ level of awareness and understanding of the use of most of the instructional techniques and effectiveness of each of the two strategies being investigated in the study.
The work will be published in journal paper, conference and executive workshop where researchers will be able to access information for further research. the work will be used to train teachers in workshops on the benefit of activity based teaching method.
Findings from this study will also provide teachers with feedback on the teaching competences in most commonly used teaching methods as a basis for improvement in their instructional practice so that they can enhance students‟ performance.
Curriculum planners and educators need empirical data on the overall teaching methods and activity-based teaching competence of agricultural science teachers in secondary schools to facilitate proper curricular policies and programmes for effective teaching and 9 learning. The findings from this study will also help to improve and change students‟ negative attitude towards agricultural science subject to increase their performance in agricultural science.
The findings from this study will hopefully create the awareness and serve as an eye-opener to educational administrators to the use of learner-centered activity-based teaching methods which incorporate students’ interactivity in class this can significantly help improve learner attitudes towards agricultural science classes and learning generally.
The government especially (Ministry of Education) may use the findings of this study to design pre-service and in-service, orientation courses and in-service courses for teachers in agricultural science and other science subjects and in repositioning agricultural sector as a sure way of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.
The students will be introduced to various skills in agricultural science that will be of benefit and reduce idleness thereby; changing students‟ negative attitudes towards agricultural science and increasing students’ performance. The researcher would be able to get a plethora of information when conducting research and be able to find new areas for further research work. This work will expose some hidden advantages of agricultural science in the field of earth science and applied science.
The society will also benefit from this finding by equipping the students with various skills in agricultural science. This will not only reduce crime but add to the development of society at large. There would be employment opportunities for the youths and this would make them stay away from committing crimes that would disrupt the peace of the community. The study will enlighten policymakers on how to see the possibility of creating employment for youths in areas of Agricultural business. With the current situation of the country, policymakers can utilize the research work to develop 10 skills in the young ones so that they can be creative in areas of agricultural science (farming). Publishers will have standard and genuine work to publish to add and enrich the knowledge of some people around the country and the worldPublishers will also have information to write on.
Curriculum developers would be able to bring in new ideas into the educational system. Since education is dynamic and curriculum is not static, this work would create good information that would be of help to complement the existing information in the curriculum. Employer of labour will also benefit from this work through creating employment for the youth in areas of agro-allied industries.
1.8 Scope of the Study
The study examined the effect of activity-based teaching method particularly discussion, demonstration and inquiry teaching method and Conventional teaching method of teaching on academic performance and retention of students in agricultural science in Kaduna State. The study is limited to senior secondary schools SSII students from the twelve (12) Educational Zones of Kaduna State offering agricultural science.
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